The Wedding Dress
Carol Mascarenhas – 19thJanuary 1974
We met in India when Vincent came with his family and his sister so they could find someone to marry her. Although they did not find anyone she liked they came to my family, which they knew from before, to pay a courtesy visit. I was out and when I came back Vincent and I got chatting. Next day they came to say that Vincent was interested in me and although my dad was very strict he allowed me to go out and spend the day with Vincent. I thought he was nice and in the end of that first day he already asked me to marry him. Dad said my older sister had to get married first but she refused and said she was happy for me to marry him. Within 10 days the wedding was organized. An aunt of mine was a wonderful organizer and before we knew she had hired cooks, organized the church etc. It was 19th of January we had 800 guests and two ceremonies in two different days. My sari was purchased in a sari shop. A sari is a long piece of material, usually silk, which has a piece at one end to be cut off to make the sari blouse, called a choli. I visited a tailor to have the choli made. As far as I remember, 37 years later (!) I was very happy to have all my family present as well as my husband-to-be’s family from the UK also present. My parents had arranged a lovely celebration but I did not have time to think much about what was happening though it was tinged with some sadness that I would have to leave my family to go with my husband-to-be to England. I was swept away in the whirlwind of wedding preparations. The church service was very beautiful and the reception that followed was amazing.